【ANN NEWS, SACRAMENTO】 According to a September 4 report by the Sacramento Bee, the immigration court in Sacramento, California, has undergone major staffing changes over the past year. At the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, the court had seven immigration judges. Six of them have since been fired.
Data show that all six dismissed judges had previously approved asylum applications at rates above the national average, but there is currently no public evidence showing a direct connection between their ruling records and their dismissals.
The personnel changes come as U.S. immigration courts accelerate efforts to process a backlog of cases. About 3.2 million immigration cases remain pending nationwide. At the same time, the U.S. government is requiring immigration judges to more strictly limit case postponements, including in some cases where individuals are awaiting decisions on visas, green cards or other immigration applications.
The dismissal of a judge does not mean existing cases are automatically canceled. Those cases are generally reassigned. Individuals involved in immigration proceedings should closely monitor the latest notices from the immigration court to confirm whether their hearing date, location or presiding judge has changed.
